Aramis and Belle
by nikonian
Summary: 'Something is wrong with Aramis' black mare, and he won't let go until he's figured it out.' - Oneshot, takes place before the show, no spoilers, no slash.


_This just came to me during the weekend and I had to write it down. It just something short, taking place years before the show and before d'Artagnan joins in, has nothing to do with my other story, which I will update within a few days, promise! _

_Hope you like it. _

* * *

**Aramis and Belle**

"What's wrong with Belle?" Porthos asked as he watched Aramis with his horse, his gentle fingers palpitating her body.

The mare Aramis loved as much as his brothers had been off lately, and Aramis was worried through his teeth. He just couldn't see what was wrong with her. He couldn't pinpoint it. But something was wrong. A few weeks ago they had been on a mission taking them away from Paris, and after cantering for just a little while the big mare had been out of breath, _and really out of breath_, to the point where Aramis had to stop in fear that his horse would collapse. He had been forced to turn back, jumping off her and walking her back, and he had been riding other horses out to the missions after that. He'd taken her out on easy hacks daily ever since, but she always ended up breathing rapidly after just a short jog. Aramis had his ears pressed to her heart, but it sounded as good as ever.

It was not just her shape fading though, but her entire personality had been different. She had been flinching for things she hadn't before, the big black mare more on her toes than normally. She had always been the fidgety of the Musketeer's horses, but a few days ago she nearly threw Aramis after jumping sideways in fear of her own shadow. Mostly she was very, _very_ grumpy. Porthos compared her to Athos before his breakfast-wine.

Aramis slid his fingers along her back, and she arched slightly as he hit sore spots. The fingers trailed along down her chest, _sore spots there as well_, big belly, which was rock hard, and upon reaching in between her hindquarters, towards her udder, her ears fell back with a fling of her head, and she raised a leg in warning. Aramis withdraw his hand, letting it rest on her flank instead. He felt utterly helpless. The human body was easier to treat, he knew what was going on at least most of the times, and even in fevered and really injured states, people would still be able to talk. This mare just told him to bugger off, but he hated seeing his favourite girl in so much discomfort.

"I don't know." Athos said quietly, standing next to Porthos, both of the hanging over Belle's stall door, leaving horse and owner by themselves but close enough if needed. "She's been tense lately."

"She's not old enough to have muscle aches." Aramis said, turning to them both, backing up slightly towards them with his eyes still fixed at the mare that was restlessly wandering her box. "She's only 9. But she's clearly in pain. Restless. Moody. Distracted."

"Let her be for a while longer." Athos said calmly. "I'm sure she just need a holiday. Maybe she strained something along one of our longer missions and hadn't had time to fully recover yet."

Aramis nodded, looking over with concerned eyes towards Athos. "I will not leave her though, not until I know she will be alright. I'm going to make some liniment to rub on her, and I need to go over my saddle and the bridle, take a look at her teeth and her feet. Something is wrong, and I will not rest until I have settled her pain."

Athos and Porthos nodded. They hadn't expected anything else from their friend. They all loved their horses, but apparently, none of them knew as much as they wanted to about the four-legged friends. They could all treat injuries and they all could tell if their own horse was having a bad day, but Athos grew up with servants who would deal with the horses if anything happened, and Porthos hadn't really been around horses before joining the regiment. Aramis had grown up amongst them but it was not like he was a farmboy who had seen many of them. '_We really should add a farmboy into their group.' _Aramis thought._ 'Might prove handy_.'

The day passed on, and Athos and Porthos left Aramis by the stable, the latter refusing to leave. Treville understood, every one of his Musketeers loved their horses and would do anything for them when they were in need. Their motto didn't just go for everyone wearing a shoulderguard, it including their mounts as well.

Aramis spent all day with Belle, and by dinner Porthos and Athos had to literally yank him away from her to pull Aramis out onto the yard of the garrison to force some food into him.

"You are no good to her if you won't eat. Don't be ridiculous. She's right in there. She's eating and you know you said if a horse is eating it's not life threatening. So you need to eat too." Athos demanded, with a look upon his face that Aramis didn't want to question. Instead he ate. And they ended up sitting there talking about their horses for quite the time, all of them confused and worried.

It was the sound of Roger, Athos' stallion, whinnying loudly and kicking the wall of the stable that made the trio realize something was wrong, and they were back to Belle's stable in an instant. Athos stopped by Roger in the stall next to her, soothing the stallion, letting him know they were there to help. Roger was pacing restlessly, his coat damp as he was stressing with an eye focused on Belle in the stall next door.

Aramis had thrown himself into her box, where she was laying sprawled on her side in the straw, her breathing rapid and laboured, her eyes closed and sweat visible all over her coat. Aramis eyes were wide open in bewilderment, wondering what was killing his horse, as he saw them, and everything made sense within the blink of an eye. Well, _this_ he could handle. _This,_ he had done before.

"Porthos." Aramis said calmly, turning his head. "Get a bucket of water, some rags and please heat a dagger in the fire will you?"

Porthos nodded, not understanding why but doing as Aramis said, in the same time as Athos looked over the stall. It took him a moment, but by the time he saw what Aramis was doing, realization hit like a brick.

Belle was pregnant. Aramis was sitting behind her, his hands carefully but firmly grabbed onto a tiny pair of black hooves covered in a gooey mass, the small legs sliding through the palms of his hands as he tried to get a firm grip of them.

"Athos, would you come inside and put a hand on her belly please?" Aramis said, as calm and relaxed as ever, and Athos nodded as he walked inside, and went down on one knee next to the mare. All three of these men had delivered babies before, and it couldn't be that different when it came to a horse, right?

Athos put his hand gently on Belle's heaving stomach, the mare so hot to touch, exhaustion visible in her face, but she was as determined as any of the men. Athos let his free hand rub her chest and neck slightly, talking to her softly, spurring her to keep strong. All of a sudden he could feel the ever so familiar movement of a contraction coming underneath his fingers, and he looked up to meet Aramis eyes, nodding. "Wait for it… Wait for it… Now."

Aramis had moved from sitting on his knees, up into crouching position, and as the contraction came to a full blow, he grabbed the tiny legs and pulled along with it, finally toppling over backwards with a big, black foal into his lap.

"Oh, now I get it."

Athos and Aramis both smiled faintly to Porthos who had managed to come to the stall just in that precise moment with Aramis and the baby foal. Aramis didn't waste much time though, instead he grabbed the sac and opened it up, making sure the foal could breath, before he grabbed onto the little body and pulled it gently up towards Belle's head. He and Athos both then backed away, giving them privacy, and walked over to Porthos instead, leaning against the door to the stall. Aramis was prepared to start cleaning the baby off himself with the water and rags Porthos had gotten him, but he wished Belle would do it herself.

The mare was visibly and painfully exhausted, her breathing still rapid and shallow, but as her baby was brought to her, she immediately got into work, every mothers' intuition taking over. While still laying down at first she begun cleaning the baby free of the sac covering it's tiny little body, before she got up on her feet. The umbilical cord broke free as she did, Aramis smiling pleased as he figured he wouldn't have any need for the dagger in the fire.

Belle cleaned off the baby, who soon enough had his instincts set in, and it was about time to get up and get some of that first raw milk. Belle encouraged the baby with her sound sounds, and the men tried really hard to hold back their giggles as the baby tumbled around, the legs so long and awkward. Aramis felt guilty, and he walked over to the baby and Belle, gently holding the baby over the hips, trying to help it balance as it made it's way in the deep straw over to Belle. Aramis let a hand slid in underneath the baby and turned to the other with a big smile.

"It's a filly."

The baby, the baby girl, found her mother's teats and happily began drinking away. As Aramis decided it was about time for them to leave the mother and daughter alone, he let go of the baby and walked up to Belle's head, giving her forehead a good scratch, leaning forward to place his own forehead against hers.

"Good job girl, you did good. I'm so proud of you. We'll take care of your girl together. Now rest, I'll see you later."

Belle answered with a quiet murmur as Aramis kissed her forehead, before walking out of the stall. The other men followed him outside, Porthos large hand patting his shoulder.

"I didn't know she was with foal!"

"None of us did." Athos said. He was slightly pale.

"What is it?" Aramis asked as he removed the puffy linen sweater he had been wearing. He contemplated if it were any use even trying to wash it, considering it was covered in foal-goo.

"Well. I just have a slight feeling to who the father of the foal would be." Athos said, his eyes darting over to the stable, where Roger was sticking his head out through his stall window, his ears pricked forward, the elegant animal visibly pleased.

Aramis grinned. Athos horse was the only stalion of the same breed as his own in this stable, and the foal certainly looked like the two of them with the black coat without white spots, the long legs and the long head. Belle was a mare, Roger was a stallion, and even horses have needs. The two of them were constantly on the road together. Aramis couldn't remember leaving Belle _in heat_ together with Roger though, or Porthos' horse for that matter, but apparently they had at some point. But oh well. Done is done and he already loved the filly with all his heart.

Aramis grinned as he washed his hands and splashed his upper body in water out by the yard, wiping off with the cloth Porthos had brought back from the stable, as it wasn't needed. As he dried off, he gave Athos a pat on the back.

"I'm sure Roger will care for the baby as any proud father would. And you will of course help me in any way you can, considering we now have a baby to take care of together. And don't you neglect our little girl. I'm quite sure Belle would not allow it… _Papa_ Athos."

The colour drained slightly from Athos face, because he had a feeling that Aramis was actually deadpanned serious. He would have to deal with this foal, take care of it and train it and… oh.

As if it was enough with his already existing friends?


End file.
